Spellbound Souls
by Naramis
Summary: In a distant world, a sorceress and a paladin fight their archenemy, trying to stop him from executing a vicious plan. What happens when they are separated? Will the fighters, who have grown to be so much more, ever see each other again? - AU, FLight, rated M for later chapters -
1. Chapter 1

_Spellbound Souls_

Thunder and lightning raged uncontrollably that night, rain pouring down on the two women.

"No matter what, I won't let you go, Light. I'll come back for you, I promise." Fang said with a grim voice, holding on to her staff as her black robe flapped in the heavy storm that had the upper mountain in its grip.

"Fang, I..." Lightning sat on the floor, holding the wound on her upper thigh. It looked nasty, but she would be okay.

"I know you can do it, Light. I'll come back for you, and if it takes me a thousand years to do so. We will see each other again," Fang replied with determination in her voice, and Lightning thought she saw a hint of a smile on her face.

"I- ... I don't know if I can do this without you, Fang...," Lightning almost pleaded in a voice so unusually weak for the normally so strong and independent woman. But she was wounded, they had just had a desperate fight against their archenemy, and now she was just about to see her newfound lover leave her, uncertain if they would ever see each other again.

Glancing at the still wide open portal again, Fang made a few steps to her love, kneeling in front of her. "Listen, I know it's hard, but someone has to follow him and end this - once and for all. You're wounded, so I'll go alone. You can do this, I _know _you can."

Lightning nodded, staring back into those jade eyes she'd come to love so quickly, so unexpectedly. But she still had a hard time believing the woman's words, as much as she wanted to.

Fang smiled, stroking a hand through her damp her. "I'll come back. I promise." And with that, she closed the distance between them for the last kiss they'd share for a long time, holding Lightning's face with both her hands as their lips moved against each other, showing the love they felt in their hearts without words. Were there words to describe this anyway? Probably not.

They broke and shared another moment just looking at each other. It was as if time froze for a moment before the sound of the roaring thunder pulled them out of their moment again. "Okay ... I'll be waiting for you. I will."

Nodding, Fang got up again. "Good. I'll see you again, Light." She made a few steps towards the portal, only turning again once she stood right before it. "I love you." And with that, she stepped through the door their archenemy had disappeared through just minutes ago. The portal closed after, leaving Lightning staring at an empty spot.

_She's gone ... _A tear rolled down her cheek as she took it all in. Her love was really gone. And she didn't know if she'd ever return from wherever that portal had led her. Hopefully she was strong enough to beat him on her own.

"Lightning? Good lord, are you okay?" Turning, Lightning found her sister running up the passage, a few knights behind her.

* * *

Fang opened her eyes, feeling the rest of her body materialise on the other side of the portal. Shaking off the familiar, yet odd feeling, she looked around to get a quick grasp of her surroundings, looking out for the man she followed back in here.

It was ... odd. The portal hadn't led her to a real place, it seemed. This here ... it was just an empty, endless nothing she found herself in, surrounded by pink and reddish colours and odd forms moving about. It didn't make sense; portals led you to another place, but not to this ... whatever this was.

"Confused, sorceress?" Fang twitched at the familiar, deep voice, looking around for the source. But it seemed to come from everywhere at the same time, the voice echoing through the endless nothing as if it was the place itself.

"Show yourself, Barthandelus!" she spat, slowly turning to keep her surroundings in sight. She knew he must be here somewhere, but why couldn't she see him? And why was his voice so powerful, as if coming out of all directions at the same time? Raising her staff, she prepared for the worst, clenching her teeth.

She ducked just in time to prevent a shadow bolt from hitting her from her right. Narrowing her eyes, she concentrated, channelling energy into her hands and from her hands into the staff. The warm feeling flowed through her in no time, enveloping her red staff with flames at last. But there was a kind of creepy silence around her still, the crackling fire and her harsh breathing the only things cutting through it. _What's this bastard tryin' to do? I'm not here to play games!_

"So... I should show myself, you say? Your wish is my command, dear lady." He laughed, landing before her, only a few metres between the two enemies. His black cape flapped slightly as his feet met the ground. He smirked at the woman before him.

Fang didn't wait, using the opportunity to strike. "Ha!" She pointed her staff towards Barthandelus, unleashing the fiery magic on him. As to be expected, the wizard raised his arcane shield in time to fend off the three fireballs. She couldn't say she was surprised, really. It hadn't been easy even together with Lightning before, and she knew this man possessed great power.

"Fire magic ... I always kind of liked it, Fang." He snickered, pacing around a little as if not the least bothered that the woman had already charged another spell, just waiting for the right moment to fire.

"But... There is a kind of magic I cherish even more, much more, dear. And now that we are alone, I'll gladly show you what I have in mind..." He raised his hands, dark lightning bolts flowing out of them, quickly becoming more and more around the man as he closed his eyes.

"You don't think this is impressing me, I hope. Because it's clearly failing!" Fang replied, determined to defeat her foe as she unleashed one large fireball at her opponent. She was sure this would not only stop whatever summon he was trying to do there, but it would also catch him off guard, delivering a critical blow.

Oh, how wrong she was. Barthandelus laughed, his voice echoing through all of the emptiness again as the fireball puffed out like nothing as it collided with his lightning bolts. Eyes glowing red, he turned back to Fang, pointing his hands towards her.

"Urgmh!" Fang tried to get out of the invisible grasp that lifted her up into the air, lightning bolts all around her. She screamed as an inconceivable fear came over her all of a sudden, leaving her defenceless. Agony followed on the spot at the gruesome images that forced their way into her mind, overwhelming her completely.

"It is quite ... useful, isn't it? Black magic focussing on what we all have crawling inside our very beings, our strongest enemy: the fears... I loved the idea already when I heard of it for the first time." Barthandelus smirked, his voice turned sinister and demonically dark as he watched the woman with glowing eyes, observing how she tried to remain conscious.

"You seem to be quite fond of it too. Oh, and it is kind of amusing your greatest fear is really to lose this sweet little thing. Love is pain, Fang. Remember that, since you will never see your precious Lightning again."

His words were the last thing Fang heard before she was sucked into a dark void of unconsciousness, her eyes closing as these painful images continued to torment her, too strong to be met with resistance. _Lightning..._

Barthandelus nodded before activating his teleport, taking Fang with him.

* * *

Lightning hissed in pain as her sister tended to the gaping wound on her upper thigh. She couldn't help it, but she couldn't stop herself from thinking that this wouldn't have happened with her armour on. Plus, if Barthandelus hadn't _somehow _blocked her admittedly limited healing abilities, she would've been able to help herself before her sister arrived too.

"So what happened? When I woke up and asked for you, the only thing I was told was you and Fang had to leave for Mount Angerona on short notice." Serah asked with a soft voice while tending to the wound with careful movements. She grimaced as her sister winced in pain again.

Lightning nodded, shaking slightly at the treatment. _Etro, if only I'd taken the time to get into that stupid armour!_ "Yes... Fang woke up with a vision tonight, telling her where we could find Barthandelus, so ... we acted, knowing we couldn't let this chance to finally get him pass by."

Serah turned to wash the cloth, nodding. "That makes sense. Still, I bet there would've been time to at least wake me up to join you, don't you think?" She turned back to her sister, a bandage in her hand as she walked the few steps back to the examination table.

Lightning couldn't agree more with the pain flowing through her thigh. "I'm thinking the same thing now, yes." She smiled and her sister reciprocated it as she began tying the bandage around Lightning's thigh.

"So what about Fang? You didn't say a word about her yet. Where is she?" Serah asked, immediately noticing the discomfort her sister felt as she looked away.

Lightning gulped. "She ... left. Followed Barthandelus through a portal. I don't know where she is or if she'll ever return..." The sisters' gazes met, and Serah felt for her older sibling as she saw the sadness in her eyes; she didn't even hide it from her. It was only proof how close the two had grown over the last weeks.

Serah put a hand over her sister's. "I'm sure she will come back. You know she's strong. She will defeat him." Gesturing for her sister to get up and try to walk a few steps, the priestess stepped back. "And then ... she will come back."

Lightning nodded as she walked a few steps. It still hurt, but with her sister's healing skills and experience with tending to even the deepest wounds, she knew she would be alright again in no time. However, she did not feel nearly as certain about Fang. She knew her secret lover was a strong mage, but Barthandelus wasn't to be underestimated either. And she knew too well that her younger sister could be a tad bit too optimistic at times.

Serah watched Lightning walk a few steps. It looked good. Nodding, she patted the paladin on her shoulder. "Don't worry about it, sis. Fang will come back."

Still, Lightning couldn't cast off that sense of foreboding as the sisters made their way out of the sick chamber and through the castle. She just had that feeling something was not right with Fang.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: **There was a problem with the separation lines for the scenes missing. Fixed it, they're in now. Thanks for pointing it out.

* * *

_Chapter Two  
_

_A sinister void, darkness all around her ... a woman fighting against an invisible threat slowly consuming her powers, weakening her resistance... wait, that is- ... FANG! Lightning reached out for her, the woman's name leaving her lips in an unheard silent scream. But there was nothing she could do. Desperation overcame her as she fell to her knees, the image in her mind fading away into nothingness. "Lightning..."_

Lightning awoke with an audible gasp, jolting up into a sitting position. "Fang."

She took a moment to come back to her senses before looking down her body. Her nightgown felt as if it was practically soaked with sweat, and it didn't surprise her the least after such a terrifying ... well, what was it? A dream? No. Realisation hit her like a ton of bricks.

Lightning had had a vision. Only once had the young paladin had a vision in her sleep, and the feeling it left behind when you awoke had been the exact same as she was experiencing now; that slight dizziness, paired with the feeling that part of what you witnessed lingered at you, like a lover's scent after they'd long left your bed.

A long sigh left Lightning as she wiped a few strands from her face, involuntarily looking to the other side of the bed. Normally, Fang would be lying with her now, having sneaked out of her room in the middle of the night.

But she wasn't here. And Lightning had all the confirmation she needed that her lover was in danger. She needed to act. It had been foolish to ignore the feeling in her gut and wait all along, she should've gone out to look for Fang right after Serah had tended to her wounds. _I shouldn't have let her go through that portal alone to begin with..._

Guilt pierced through her heart as Lightning got up and dressed. It pained her to know the woman she loved was in serious trouble, calling out for her help with probably her last power reserves. Lightning couldn't - and wouldn't - wait any longer. No matter what Serah would say. The pain in her heart drove her, transforming into a fierce determination that would stop at nothing to save her beloved from the claws of this monster.

* * *

"Lightning, you can't just-"

"Oh yes I can," Lightning interrupted her sister, stopping and turning to her as she sheathed her sword. Determination glowed back at her sister from her azure eyes.

"Serah, Fang is clearly in danger. The vision showed me, and I'll be damned if I wait just one minute longer before going out to help her." She looked over her armour, checking if everything sat tightly in place as usual before turning away from her sister again to obtain her shield that was resting against the wall. She was ready and prepared to leave and find Fang.

"Lightning, please. Listen to me," Serah tried again, almost pleading as she placed a gentle hand on the cold steel of her sister's shoulder. Her sister looked back at her, turning slightly, shield now in hand. Their gazes met, and for a brief second the priestess could see the pain and guilt emanating from that usually rather guarded look. Not that she hadn't seen it in Lightning's behaviour before; she knew her sister well enough.

A compassionate smile grew on Serah's lips. Her sister obviously cared for Fang, and she was more than happy that the usually rather reserved and secluded paladin had found a friend, albeit not under the best of circumstances. "I know you want to go out and find her as fast as possible, I can see that and believe me, I feel the same. I'd like nothing better than doing just that myself. But think, Lightning ... would it really be so smart to go out there unprepared?" She paused, her smile replaced by a worried expression on her features. "Right into Barthandelus' arms?"

Lightning cast her gaze down as she considered the words, letting them sink in. And as much as she hated it, Serah had a point. Lightning had let her pain drive her, blinding her to the sober truth: it was more than stupid to rush out there without any kind of information at all. That was probably just what Barthandelus was hoping for since Lightning was more than sure the crafty bastard had noticed the strength of her and Fang's bond.

Nodding, the paladin met her sister's gaze. "Yes... you're right. It would be more than idiotic. It's just-..." She looked away, not wanting her sister to see the raw pain in her eyes as another wave of worry and guilt for Fang washed over her, clawing onto her heart. Sadness followed closely after, the sudden sting in her eyes reminding her just how much she cared. _Get yourself together, woman! _She couldn't and wouldn't cry in front of her sister.

"... that time's running short. I would never forgive myself if I were..." she gulped, "too late to save her." _It would break my heart, _she added in her mind. Lightning met her sister's gaze, the atmosphere thick with emotion. She knew Serah could see her suffering, her sister had always been a keen observer, no matter how well Lightning guarded her emotions. Serah could always see when she wasn't feeling alright.

Lightning was caught off guard when she suddenly felt arms around her, hugging her as tightly as possible with that armour on. The paladin could sense a faint glimmer of hope rising from within herself. "It's okay..." They parted, and Serah let a soft smile adorn her lips. "I have some ideas. We'll not waste any time. Come on."

Lightning could only stare for a moment as her sister made off to leave the armoury. Her thoughts wandered back to Fang and the horrifying images she'd seen for a moment, and determination fuelled her once again as she balled her hand to a fist, feet setting off to follow her sister. _You're on, Barthandelus..._

* * *

"So, what about those ideas you mentioned you have, Serah?" Lightning asked as she entered her sister's room and sat down on her bed, armour clattering.

"Well, from what you've told me you saw it seems likely Barthandelus somehow overpowered Fang and is now holding her captive, draining her powers for some reason, right?" Serah replied, eyebrows arching as she asked her sister and walked to her bed to sit beside her.

"That's what I saw, yes." The paladin nodded, casting her gaze downward momentarily as those gruesome images returned to her. But she wiped them away. She needed to stay focused now, for Fang's sake.

"Soo... it's quite likely he's holding her in his castle, don't you think? It seems to me he needs her for something and-"

"Wait a minute there, Serah," Lightning interrupted harsher than she wanted to, gaze immediately turning apologetic at the slightly hurt and annoyed expression on her sister's face. Sometimes she was just horribly undiplomatic, Lightning knew that. She nodded. "Sorry."

Serah put a hand on her sister's shoulder. "It's okay. What did you want to throw in?"

"I wanted to remind you we know Barthandelus' plan is to bring back black magic into our world, rediscovering the ability to use the power of fears to control people, right? I don't see how Fang could have any use to him in achieving that goal, Serah." Lightning explained matter-of-factly.

"That's why I think he's draining her power out of her to use for himself, which would eventually," she gulped, "kill her." And Lightning couldn't even stand the thought of it, much less _knowing_ that this was what would happen should she not arrive in time to save Fang.

Serah nodded in understanding. "Okay, okay. Then maybe he's got no use for her after that. We don't know, right? But what I wanted to say is that either way, it's likely to me he is holding her in his castle, so that's where we need to go. Agreed?" The priestess smiled slightly playfully at her older sister. Lightning had a habit of looking at things a bit too complicated, and after all those years it was still amusing as ever to watch this.

"Yes, you're right. But we need a portal to go there," Lightning pointed out.

"I know, I know. I said I have a few ideas, right? Well, the thing is, obviously, that we need to find a mage. I talked to Vanille, she said she isn't good enough yet to make such a portal," Serah explained, getting up from her spot on the bed to walk around the room as she continued. "But, as you know me, I've talked a bit to people and I think we might be able to find someone else who can do it for us."

Surprise showed briefly on Lightning's face. Her sister had really not wasted any time in taking care of things. Their eyes met. "Who?"

* * *

She still couldn't believe she was doing this, marching through an endless dark forest with Serah and Vanille, hoping to find that one guy that might be able to help them. That in itself would be quite alright, actually. But something else bothered her, and she couldn't keep it in any longer.

"Serah, are you sure this a good idea? You said the guy has been retired for years. How do we even know if he's going to help us, complete strangers?" Lightning asked as she lighted their way through the darkness with a torch.

"And even if he's willing to, we don't even know if his magic is still working properly after so long," she added, twitching alongside the other two when the trees above them rustled as something flew through the leaves.

"You're right, we can't know any of this," Serah admitted to her older sister's surprise. Usually she was the optimistic 'everything will work out' type, so the paladin didn't normally expect such a down-to-earth response from her.

"But... he's our only chance as far as I know. Mages that are skilled enough to make portals are rare these days, Lightning. He's the only one I could find." Serah explained, looking over to Vanille, who nodded in agreement, a small hopeful smile on her lips.

"Then let's hope for the best." Swinging the torch to look around, Lightning couldn't help but pray inwardly. A comfortable silence settled in as they walked on and everyone seemed lost in their own world of thoughts, revolving around that mage, and, more importantly, worry for Fang. They knew time was probably their biggest enemy, and it fuelled their energy as they walked faster yet, determined to find the mage as quickly as possible.

* * *

"I think this is it..." Lightning said as the three women neared a small shack in a clearing in the midst of the forest. It was quite late by now, and the last rays of sunlight had disappeared completely. It was an oddly peaceful night, considering how much pressure they were all under.

"Yep. Let's go and knock. Hope he is still up at this late hour," Vanille suggested, making a move towards the door of the wooden house. The others stood behind her as she knocked with a bit of hesitation, knowing many people didn't react well to strangers disturbing them in the middle of the night.

To their surprise, it didn't take longer than a few seconds before the door went open with a squeak, revealing the mage. It didn't look like he had just come out of bed. His brown eyes quickly jumped back and forth between the three women as he examined them before finally coming to rest on Vanille. "What are you doing here in the middle of the night?"

His voice was calm, yet showed off the annoyance he felt for being disturbed so late by complete strangers. Lightning was just about to say something when Vanille beat her to it, smiling brightly at the older man. "We apologise for disturbing you so late in the night. We've come all the way here because you're a skilled mage, and we'd like to ask you for your help, sir," she started, her sweet girly voice doing a good job in making the plea sound like the smallest, most casual thing to ask of a stranger.

Hadn't they been in such a grim situation to begin with, Lightning would've probably smiled at how happy and lively Vanille could make herself sound despite the heavy worry for Fang resting on her shoulders just as much. And the paladin quickly found she would have another reason to smile as she saw the momentary surprise show in the man's face before his face seemed to change to a happier feature, a small smile on his lips as he shook his head in disbelief.

"I've seen a lot of things in my life, but this, this is new, really," he said, chuckling softly to himself. "Well, I haven't used my magic much in a few years, I have to tell you. Also I don't even know who you are..." He scratched his chin as if thinking what to do with the three women. Should he let them in to hear what they could want from him, a retired mage? Or should he send them away back into the dark forest in the middle of the night, never to learn what could've made them want to look for his help?

Before he could come to a decision, his thoughts were interrupted by the girly voice of the redhead before him. "That's right, we didn't introduce ourselves yet. I'm Oerba Dia Vanille," she said before pointing to the others. "And this is Lightning Farron and her sister Serah. We came from Castle Ravenstone in the south."

The man nodded, stroking through his beard. He knew that castle, had even been there once or twice in the past years. It had a generally good reputation. Still, he needed to know what the strangers wanted from him, of all people. He turned to the redhead again. "So, and what made you to come all the way here to find me? You obviously know about me, but what is it you hope I will do for you?"

It was Lightning now who took the chance to reply. "We need you to make a portal for us," she explained briefly, not wanting to give away too many details yet in case the mage would refuse.

He stroked through his beard again, something that seemed to be some kind of trademark for him. His brow furrowed as thoughts rushed through his mind. "Mhmhh..." He mumbled something, and Lightning leaned forward unknowingly. Then he suddenly snapped out of it, gaze focussing on the women again as his face lightened up.

"Well, I can't promise I'll be able to help, and neither will I do it for free, but I'm giving you a chance to explain yourselves first. My name's Sazh," he said, a friendly smile on his face now as he invited the women inside.

As they entered his house, none of them noticed the shadowy figure watching them from the forest. The woman smiled coldly as she teleported herself away with a nod to herself, her master's voice echoing in her head. _Let them come, let them come. That's what I want._


End file.
